The recent Caravan and Camping Supershow was awash with caravans and campers of all types and sizes but it wasn’t these that stole the show.
Held at the Melbourne Showgrounds, the Supershow is a massive five-day event where big and small players in the camping and touring scene come out to show off and sell their wares.
The show ran February 21 to 25 as a heatwave hit Victoria, yet punters still turned out in droves to check out the latest gear and in essence, prove the continuing popularity of automotive touring across Australia.
From a towing perspective, manufacturer support for the event came from Ineos and Volkswagen.
Ineos as usual had their Grenadier on display, a cross between a utilitarian Land Rover-esque 4WD and a luxury car. But they also had the commercial version which simply has blacked-out rear windows and the second-row seating removed to greatly increase the cargo space and payload.
Much of the interest though centred around the soon to be launched Quartermaster. It’s a dual-cab ute version of the Grenadier which should prove to be a huge hit in Australia when it lands. It’s expected to hit our shores some time later this year.
“Ineos Automotive attend shows such as the Victorian Caravan, Camping & Touring Supershow to provide a tangible experience of the vehicle, to see and feel the engineering behind the Grenadier up close,” said Ineos spokesperson Josh Gay.
“Events like this increase awareness of the Grenadier within the caravanning and overlanding community, which is a key market for our brand in Australia.”
Volkswagen on the other hand had two Amaroks overshadowed by a number of non-caravan touring options. One was an oversized delivery van converted into a motorhome, and much the same as offerings from other manufacturers.
Their other display vehicle, however, was a showstopper! Sitting as the centrepiece of the VW corporate display site was a brand new ID. Buzz, a modern-day, electric successor to the Kombi of old.
With a luxurious interior, modern styling, low-profile tyres and a strong connection to the iconic Kombi, this new model attracted plenty of attention. We’d love to see it gracing the highways and top surfing spots around Australia, just like its legendary ancestors.
Motorhomes though were the flavour of the week and while they do fit the category well, it’s amazing to see the direction the industry is going when one of the state’s biggest caravan and camping shows is featuring a growing diversity of options for caravaners that don’t involve towing.
From my personal perspective though, it was positive and interesting to see these newer motorhome options starting to follow trends in the USA, with off-road fit-outs that included bull bars, 4WD tyres and many other accessories.
It proves just how big and diverse the Aussie off-road community is, but also that our thirst for touring this great land in well set-up vehicles is still just as strong as ever.
Like always though, how big is big enough or more appropriately, how big is too big?
There were basic Hilux 4x4s wearing massive motorhome ad-ons like an uncontrollable growth on their back (picture the Hunchback of Notre Dame but with a much bigger hump), right through to vehicles as large as a commercial bus with every option that opens, closes, expands, extends, retracts and pops in, out or up!
It’s an important reminder that as motorists, we are all sharing the roads with these behemoths and need to take into account their limitations and lack of agility when tackling our roads.
Similarly, we are hearing more calls made for a towing license considering the size and number of caravans and campers we are seeing on our roads these days.
In all honesty, you need a special driving licence for anything heavier than 4999kg, and considering the risk, danger and complexity of towing even a smaller caravan or camper, let alone a 22-foot chalet (or something bigger), shouldn’t we (Australia) be considering something similar for those who are towing?
What are your thoughts? Should Australia implement a licensing and training regime for anyone who wants to tow? Should it be limited to those touring with a caravan or should anyone who is going to tow be required to pass a test?
